Key holder



April 27, 1937 E R. HALLOCK KEY HOLDER Filed Oct. 17, 1955 INVENTOR. flu/ yr; f). flallaa/c ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED srAres PATENT OFFICEIY- KEY HOLDER "Illw'ynfR. Hallock, Burlington, Vt. Application. October 1'1, 1935, Serial No. 45,427 Claims. (01'. 224-48) My invention relates to key holders and has for itsobject the production of a simple and inexpensive holder for'the convenient carrying of locker keys by bathers or participants in athletic or gymnastic sports when divested of their usual clothing.

A key holder embodying my invention in a preferred form thereof comprises a'strap having cooperative fastening means at its ends for securing the same about the users wrist or ankle, which strap is provided at some convenient point between its ends with an attached pivot member to which the locker key is pivotally connected at one end for swinging movement transversely of the strap in order to permit of its convenient use, and which key is normally held in an inoperative position in alignment with the strap by means of a loop member slidably mounted on the strap for movement to and from a position of engagement with the key.

A key holder embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 shows a key holder in aflattened out condition as when removed from the wearers person.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same as it appears when fastened on a persons arm or wrist.

Fig. 3 is a detail, partly in section, showing the pivotal connection of the key with the holder strap.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 5 is an edge view, partly in section, of the holder shown in Fig. 4, with the key holding loop in key releasing position corresponding with the dotted line position of the same in Fig. 4.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The strap of my improved key holder, indicated at I, may be made of any suitable material, but preferably is made of strong cotton fabric which will not deteriorate when it becomes wet, as happens when worn by a bather. This strap may be provided with any suitable means for fastening it about the wearers arm or ankle, but I prefer the means shown, comprising a buckle 2 connected to one end of the strap and a series of eyelets 3 formed in the other end of the strap for engagement by the buckle in usual manner.

At a point in the length of the strap where it is desired to locate the key, a pivot member 4 is connected with the strap. This pivot member, as here shown, comprises a shank 5 of sufficient length to extend through both the strap and an opening in the key 6 and having enlarged heads 1, 1 at its opposite ends engaging respectively with the strap and key to effect a strong connection between the same. Such pivotal connection of the key with the strap permits of the key being swung transversely of the strap from an inoperative position in alignment with and adjacent to the strap, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 t'o'av laterally projecting position for convenient. manipulation of the look, as shown by dotted lines in Fig- 1. I I

When the key holder is. fastened to the. user in the way referred to, the key is adapted to be held in its inoperative position in close engagement with the strap by means of a loop member 8 which is slidably mounted on the strap for ready movement to and from a position of holding engagement with the key. The location of the loop 8 between the buckle Z and the key 6 and its pivot member, as shown, serves to keep the loop from becoming detached when the ends of the strap are not connected. This loop member may be made of any suitable material but is preferably formed of cotton fabric like that of the strap. When the key is thus retained in alignment and close engagement with the strap, there is no liability of its causing damage by contact with either the wearer or any person in his vicinity.

It will be noted that the loop member 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is of a length to only partially cover the key; the function of the loop in such case being primarily to retain the key in its position of alignment with the strap. If desired however the loop may be made of sufiicient length to completely cover or sheath the key, as shown in Fig. 4. When a short loop is used, the key will preferably be attached to the inside of the strap as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as it has been found in practice that the key may be so positioned without causing undue chafing or injury to the wearer and it will be guarded against possible injury to others by the overlying strap. If, however, it is desired for any reason to locate the key on the outside of the strap, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it will then be desirable to completely sheath the key by the use of the longer loop, indicated at 8.

In some instances I prefer to provide means for limiting the sliding movement of the loop on the strap in order to more readily adjust its position of engagement with the key. This I do, in the present instance, by means of a flexible member H] which is connected at one end to the strap, as by means of the rivet H, and at its opposite end connected to the loop 8, as by means of the stitching 12. This member ID is of a length to permit of a limited movement of the connected loop on the strap, that is, a movement in one direction to a position covering the key and in the opposite direction to a position uncovering the key. In this way, when the key is uncovered for use and it is desired to again sheath the same, the user simply slides the loop on the strap to the limit permitted by the connection l0, where it will be in position to completely sheath the key as shown in Fig. 4.

The flexible connection l0 may be in the form of a separate piece, but preferably and as here shown it is formed as an extension of the strap itself, the strap being looped at its point of engagement with the buckle and the extension It) being there connected to the strap by the rivet I I.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the key holder constituting my invention is inexpensive to make and completely efficient for the purpose intended.

What I claim is:

1. A key holder, comprising a strap having cooperative fastening means at its opposite ends, a key connected at one end with said strap so that it may swing to and from a position parallel with said strap, and a loop member slidably mounted on the strap and movable to and from a position of engagement with the free end of the key in a position of the latter lengthwise of the strap, to thereby hold the key in said position when the latter is being carried.

2. The key holder described in claim 1, includ-" ing a flexible connection between the strap and the. slidable loop member for adjusting the position of the latter over the key.

3. The key holder described in claim 1, including a flexible connection between the strap and the slidable loop member for adjusting the position of the lattter over the key, said flexible connection being an integral part of the strap and formed by looping the latter back onto itself at one end thereof. 7 p

4. The key holder described in claim 1, wherein one of the cooperative parts of the fastening means is of greater width than the strap, and wherein the loop is located between said last named part of the fastening means and the key and its connection to the strap, in a manner to be slidably retained on the strap between said last named part of the fastening means and said key-connection.

5. A key holder, comprising a body-member encircling strap, a key pivotally connected to said strap so as to swing to and from a position lengthwise of the strap, and a loop member slidably mounted on the strap and movable to and from a position of engagement with the free end of the key in a position of the latter lengthwise of I the strap to thereby hold the key in said position when the latter is being carried.

ELWYN R. HALLOCK. 

